


Black Steel

by grauschwinge



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Gen, M/M, Nihon Country, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-15 11:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11804790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grauschwinge/pseuds/grauschwinge
Summary: My entries for Kurogane Week 2017.





	1. Sci-Fi

Electric blue wisps were already trailing around Kurogane when he brandished his weapon, and he glanced at Fay, then moved in for the first kill, amid gleaming steel and flashes of blue lightning.

While Fay, moving swiftly, fired barrage after barrage at the flying monsters, which were small but vicious, Kurogane targeted the enormous ones. Even as they watched him with their numerous, beady eyes, he was not deterred by their screeches, nor intimidated by their drooling maws full of jagged fangs.

He was no longer simply a being of flesh and blood. Even though his left arm, that technological marvel, was advanced enough to fool many people into thinking that nothing at all was amiss about his body, it could not fool him.

With every strike that slew another one of the monsters, he felt it. He felt the mechanism working within himself, close to his heart (his living, beating heart), and he felt the contraption of metal and cables digging into his muscles, his real muscles, and into his skin, his real skin, when he raised the weapon for the final strike, shielded by a barrier of light.

"Hama... ryuu-ou-jin!!"

The attack sliced the largest monster in half in an instant, while another flash of blue lightning finished off the remaining ones at the same time.

Barely out of breath, Kurogane wiped off the blade with a cloth before he sheathed the sword for the time being, then put on thick gloves to conceal his hands and forearms. Fay, who was pulling on his own, simpler gloves, grinned at the other man.

"So Kuro-sama doesn't want anyone to see his arm from the future... My lips are sealed!"

Fay chuckled, but Kurogane merely looked at him, brows furrowed as he flexed the fingers of his left hand.

Even though every new prosthetic arm delivered to him seemed to be more advanced and more lifelike than the last, every single one lacked the scars, the one on his hand as well as the overlapping ones on his wrist. He had lost the scars, but he would never let the memories fade.

"Oh yeah? You weirdo from another world."

In spite of his scowl, Kurogane's voice held a hint of a smile, almost a laugh, as he reached out with his left hand to ruffle Fay's hair, and Fay retaliated by playfully punching Kurogane's right shoulder.

"You're weird, too, Kuro-sama."

Although Kurogane was still frowning, he grinned back at Fay before he wrapped his arms around him, and Fay patted Kurogane on the back.

He was no longer simply a being of flesh and blood. But he was certain that by sacrificing part of himself, he had become fully human.


	2. Moon

He sighed contentedly when Mother kissed his forehead, as lovingly as always, and he laughed lightly when Father tousled his hair, more gently than when they were roughhousing during the day. At night, the world seemed to move at a different pace. Monsters roamed the province, just outside the wards, but the people and the other living beings were safe on the inside.

While Mother and Father were telling him goodnight, leaning close to him, he gazed at the small crescent moons on their clothing, the same shapes that he could see everywhere in his home. The moonlight was soothing, too, when he was alone in his room, safe in his bed.

Mother had been doing a bit better, but she was still weakened, so he vowed to catch a fish for her. And he would show Father, who had finally returned home, how much stronger he had become, strong enough to learn a new, more difficult technique. He already knew exactly which technique he would request to be taught.

Giddy with anticipation, he grinned, even as he settled down to sleep, moonbeams filtering through the paper screen like a lamp, filling his room with the gentle light of home.

~

The silence of the night was broken only by slashes and thuds as the bodies began to litter the roof of the palace, struck by cuts so swift and precise that the victims did not even get the chance to scream.

As he made short work of anyone foolish enough to threaten the princess he served and protected, the moon was his spotlight, casting an eerie glow on the bodies strewn across the roof. A few roof tiles clattered when the sole survivor of the battle shifted his stance, his triumphant face raised to the night sky. Under the blood red moon, he laughed.

Even while the thrill of battle was still making him shudder, he sensed the princess approach, and he did not need to avert his gaze from the moon to know that she was shaking her head in disapproval. He did not have to listen to her to remember that he had disobeyed her orders by not sparing the attackers' lives.

The moon, silent witness to his displays of senseless violence, was her witness, too, when she raised both hands. In an instant, she set up the ward, trapping him within the shape of the crescent moon.

~

Pouring two more cups of _sake_ , Kurogane watched as Fay helped himself to another _mochi_ , which he gave a little squeeze before eating.

Fay had been captivated when Kurogane had told him the story of the rabbit in the moon, and Kurogane had sighed, then smiled slightly, when Fay had immediately mentioned the white _manjuu_. Their traveling companions were far away, so far away that they were not even looking at the same night sky, which, nevertheless, looked similar in every world.

Years before, in another world, Kurogane and Fay had looked up at the moon together, too, silent under the night sky, fighting in a war that had not been their own, at the Castle of the Moon. Back home, in Nihon Country, they could speak to each other, but words were not needed. Smiles were enough.

Fay had decorated his hair, which took on a silvery hue in the glow of the moon, making him look as foreign as though he hailed from the moon itself, with a smooth, dark ornament in the shape of the waxing moon, the same emblem that had always reminded Kurogane of home, no matter how far away his travels had led him.


	3. Embarrassing Moments

Even missions that involved slaying the monsters plaguing Nihon Country were almost easy in comparison to the situation that he was finding himself in, as all the children in the village seemed to trail behind him, eyes wide and mouths agape in awe when they were not chattering or whispering amongst themselves whenever he looked in their direction. Even when he and his fair-haired companion were just passing through, they were certain to attract attention.

Kurogane caught himself scanning the group of children, searching for any signs of familiar faces, young incarnations of people whom they have met before, on their travels. There was no little boy with dark brown hair and amber eyes, nor was there a little girl with auburn hair and jade green eyes. Perhaps it was better that way, he reckoned. Without the faces that had become so familiar to him, he would be able to keep his distance from the children, and Fay would not be able to tease him quite as easily about being a family man after all.

"Hey, what's your name?"

Fay, who was leaning against a wall just behind Kurogane, grinned but remained silent when Kurogane quickly looked over his shoulder to glare at him. He knew better than to let Fay introduce him. It was bad enough that Fay would, without a doubt, tease Kurogane about the way he was unable to maintain his intimidating scowl for long while the children were looking up at him with such admiration.

"It's Kurogane. And you can call this guy Hotaruishi."

The children uttered gasps and similar sounds of fascination, and Fay’s grin relaxed into a smile when a few of the children turned away from Kurogane and gathered in front of him instead, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Not Shirogane?"

With a light laugh, Fay stepped up to Kurogane, who blushed at the sight of his playful smile. Fay had a way of looking at him that made Kurogane want to punch and kiss him at the same time.

"Shirogane... Black and white, of course! After all, this guy is my other half... Right, Kuro-shujinsama?"

With a louder laugh, Fay reached under Kurogane’s cloak to touch Ginryuu, patting the hilt of the sword just a bit too languidly and deliberately for him to ignore. Coupled with the motions of his long, slender fingers, the sight of Fay’s mischievous grin made Kurogane growl.

The children stared after the two travelers with a mixture of intrigue and confusion when Fay, laughing and waving both arms above his head, darted out of the crowd and back towards the road, with Kurogane, who was all but roaring as he drew Ginryuu, in hot pursuit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hotaruishi_ (literally "firefly stone") means fluorite in Japanese.
> 
>  _Shirogane_ means "silver" but sounds as though it could be spelled as "white steel."
> 
>  _Shujin_ means "master" or (as intended here) "husband."


	4. Fan Service

When he waded into the water, Kurogane knew that Fay was ogling him from where he was sitting, on a large, flat rock at the edge of the water.

Kurogane did not wince when the water splashed against his ankles and his lower legs, nor when the chill coursed through his entire body. Instead, he stood with his legs apart, in a firm stance, clad in only a _fundoshi_ , as well as a pair of _zouri_ to protect the soles of his feet. He waited.

Even while watching for prey, he listened for any signs of enemies, but instead, he heard only Fay's breathing, a bit erratic and fast, occasionally interrupted by gasps and sighs, especially when Kurogane leaned forward slightly, his entire body tense, at the ready, prepared to strike.

For a moment, he stood perfectly still. He inhaled, slowly and deeply, while Fay seemed to hold his breath, and Kurogane swiftly reached under the surface the water, which was immediately disrupted by the thrashing of his prey.

Shaking off a few drops of water that were clinging to his hair, he turned around, then presented the large fish struggling in his grasp to Fay, who was gaping, rather like a fish, eyes wide.

Kurogane grinned triumphantly, yet Fay's admiring gaze gave way to a displeased expression when he looked at the fish, and he laughed nervously.

"I don't want any of that for dinner."

Kurogane glared at Fay, then sighed, and the fish returned to the water with a splash that sent droplets flying against Kurogane's skin. Fay uttered a familiar whistling sound, a short rising note immediately followed by a long falling note.

"Get out of the water, Kuro-sama...! It's very cold, isn't it?"

Boasting a shameless grin, Fay stared at Kurogane's chest while Kurogane stomped out of the water and back towards Fay, who was still squatting on the rock.

"Let's have _onigiri_ instead. I even made some with those weird fillings that you like!"

In spite of his flushed face, Fay's grin did not vanish when Kurogane leaned close to him, eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed. While Kurogane was putting on his garments, Fay shifted to lie on his stomach, and he propped himself up on his elbows, resting the sides of his face in his hands.

"Surely a spear would have been more efficient, right? But instead, Kuro-sama wanted to put on such a show for me..."

As Kurogane did not bother to neatly fold his kimono over his chest just yet, quite an expanse of skin was visible above the obi. He continued to scowl when Fay whistled once more, but he grinned, too, widely enough to put his canine teeth on display.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A _fundoshi_ is a Japanese undergarment (like a loincloth) tradtionally worn by men. _Zouri_ are sandals similar to flip-flops.


	5. Protection

In the heat of battle, it was easy to keep the mind from straying. Winning was all that mattered. For years, the thrill of a good challenge had driven him to end countless lives, while the wish to protect had driven him to risk his own life for others. At first, he had protected only the princess of his country. Then, he had protected his traveling companions. Finally, he had returned home, to protect Nihon Country.

Together with Fay, Kurogane had slain the monsters in the area, only to find the nearby village in ruins, devoid of life. The monsters had rampaged there only recently, destroying everything in their path and leaving nothing of their victims behind.

He stood, both hands clenched into fists at his sides, with Ginryuu tucked into his obi, as though it were still waiting to be drawn. Although he was trying to keep his breathing under control, even inhaling and exhaling slowly were welcome noises, along with the rush of blood that almost made his ears ring.

He was used to the din of battle, and he was used to winning. The silence that accompanied the aftermath of devastation was unbearable.

When he looked up at the overcast sky, snowflakes brushed against his face, but they melted away at once.

He touched Ginryuu, with his artificial fingers around the scabbard and his right hand at the hilt, as though holding on to the sword, which was the very same weapon that he had been using to fight and protect (for fighting and protecting were one and the same) ever since he had learned what it meant to be truly strong. Yet power alone, he had also learned, was not enough to protect others, to keep lives from being lost.

When Fay wrapped his arms around Kurogane's torso from behind and rested his head against the taller man's back, Kurogane could feel that Fay was shivering with exhaustion, too.

Fay's left arm remained wrapped around Kurogane's side, but Fay moved his right hand to cover Kurogane's right hand, directly above the hilt of the sword.

While snowflakes continued to melt against their faces, Kurogane and Fay stayed huddled together for a moment, simply breathing, leaning against each other in silence. There was no need for them to guard themselves against one another.

With a sigh, Fay stepped around Kurogane in order to stand by his side, and they separated just enough in order to fold their hands. They merely glanced at each other before they bowed their heads and offered silent prayers, to soothe the victims' souls, with the hope of keeping them from becoming vengeful spirits, while the snow slowly began to cover the ground.


	6. Alternate Universe

In the cool, dimly lit room, he felt like a ninja on guard, lurking in dark corners. He glanced left and right, then stepped out of the shadows. While he was careful not to touch the display case, he leaned down to study the delicate decorations on the hilt of the sword, signs both of the skill of the smith as well as of the value that the weapon had held for the owner.

The hilt was covered in thin plates of metal, shaped like scales, that formed the neck of the dragon whose head crowned the hilt. The dragon looked both dignified and fierce, with red eyes, bared fangs, as well as the horns and whiskers typical of the fabled being. The sword had been removed from the scabbard and propped up for display.

Rising to his full height, he took a fighting stance, both hands positioned as though he were wielding the sword. He raised his arms, ready to strike an imaginary foe when the footfall on the other end of the staircase alerted him, and he retreated to his post at once.

"Wow, you're practically a ninja!"

The laugh that followed made his face heat up and redden, but his expression remained serious as he eyed the man who had stepped into the room. The foreigner, blond, blue-eyed, and pale, was smiling at the black-haired, red-eyed, tan-skinned man, who was even taller than he was, as well as much more powerfully built, for the foreigner was so thin that his body almost appeared to vanish within his oversized, fur-trimmed coat.

"I'm impressed, truly! And I was trying to be so quiet... This is a museum, after all!"

Adjusting his glasses, which were red-rimmed below his eyes, the foreigner laughed once more, and the guard's blush intensified, whereas his scowl deepened. Even though he had never met him before, the laugh and the bright gaze that accompanied it were familiar, in a way that he could not explain.

He heaved a sigh of relief when the foreigner turned his back to him in order to look at the sword. Before long, however, other objects caught his attention, and in a flash, he began to sway past more and more exhibits, marveling at scrolls, then at other weapons, which were smaller and less exquisitely crafted than the sword that the black-haired man was guarding.

The blond man glanced back at the guard before he looked at the two robes (one black and plain, but exceptionally large in size, the other white and more elegant, with particularly long sleeves) in the glass case behind him. After a moment, he turned his attention to yet another object.

"What a pretty vase!"

The image on the large jar (a black dragon, rising, and a white phoenix, descending) bore numerous details, such as the dragon's whiskers and the phoenix's tail feathers, and showed the dragon and the phoenix looking at each other.

"That's no vase."

The foreigner looked up at the guard, who continued to frown, arms crossed.

"It's an urn."

The foreigner's eyes went wide when he spun around to stare at the guard.

"What? An urn? Now that you mention, it does have a lid..."

His face, marked by surprise only a moment before, took on a look of deep thought, and he smiled slightly, presenting not the silly grin that he had sported before, but a genuine, wistful smile.

"Why don't you just read the signs on the cases?"

"Ah, but my eyesight isn't the best...! I don't have night vision like a ninja, unlike you!"

After a few more seconds of looking at the urn, he stretched his back and turned around, grinning from ear to ear again as he approached the guard, whose face was still flushed. The foreigner's fluids motions, as well as his soft voice, were familiar, as though he were not seeing and hearing him for the first time.

"Oh dear, where are my manners? I haven't even told introduced myself to you yet. My name's a bit long, so feel free to just call me Fay. Please take care of me. I hope we'll get along well! Now, what shall I call you…?"

"Kurogane."


	7. Free Day

The leaves rustled in the breeze, while the branches bent slightly under his weight, but he continued to make his way upwards, aiming higher and higher, a little bit higher every day. While he waited, hiding in the shadows of the leaves, he was barely even breathing. He watched the ground, like a soaring hawk, on the hunt.

As he ventured out of the foliage, eyes on the target, Mother, who was sitting on the veranda to enjoy the breeze while protecting herself from the sunlight, spotted him, but he could trust her not to give him away. With a knowing smile, she looked up at Father, who was walking under the tree, towards her.

The boy's eyes narrowed, then widened, and he began to move out of the safety of the leaves, then further along the sturdy branch, faster and faster, until he leaped out of the tree.

Father yelled with surprise and amusement, then quickly reached around himself to grab his son, who was laughing wildly as he clung to him, trying to wrestle with him and hug him at the same time, basking in the warmth and the scents of home, while Mother joined in their laughter.

~

While the pain in his left hand was slowly beginning to fade to a dull ache, the recent memories that repeated over and over, in vivid detail, whenever he closed his eyes continued to bring raw pain.

He could not let his guard down, and so, a light clinking of metal and a light rustling of fabric close by were enough to make him completely alert at once, ready to attack. When he glanced down, however, he did not spot an enemy.

He could not smile back at the princess, who was looking up at him, appearing particularly tiny next to the trunk of the tree. Yet he climbed down from the tree and stood beside the princess, towering over her until he knelt in front of her, head slightly bowed.

Her fingers touched the tips of his hair, and he heaved a sigh. She was still a child, but she was gentle and strong, as Mother and Father had been. She was still a child, but so was he, still so in need of Mother and Father, who had been ripped out of his life so brutally. He closed his eyes, not allowing the tears to flow just yet.

~

His body was far larger and heavier than it had been when he had climbed a tree for the first time, but as he had also gained strength and endurance, he kept rising higher and higher, without effort, while the branches swayed in the breeze that carried away a few petals.

Amid the flowers in full bloom, Kurogane could not help but smile when Fay, lounging on a large branch just above him, opened his eyes and beamed at him, so that a few faint wrinkles framed the corners of his mouth and of his eyes.

Although they were still young enough to travel and fight together, they were maturing together after all. Grinning and blushing, Kurogane leaned up, while Fay leaned down, so that Kurogane could stroke and nuzzle Fay's hair, which he had continuously been growing out.

Over the years, the cord that held the longest strands of Fay's hair together had become tattered all over and frayed at the tasseled ends, but it was still red, as it had been on the day when the two of them had met, so many years before, on that day in the rain when the cord had adorned Kurogane's cloak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out [my blog](https://eternal-bond.tumblr.com/).


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